This battle was so-called because of the blips, or pips, that appear on the radar screen to indicate contact with a ship or aircraft. At 0007 on 26 July 1943, a US flying boat reported a contact with 7 ships 320km south west of Attu, on of the Aleutian islands. American warships patrolling off Kiska, which was occupied by the Japanese, went to investigate. They too, picked up radar contact and, thinking it was an enemy convoy bound for Kiska, engaged it.

A total of 1000 shells were fired, the wakes of torpedoes were sighted, and flares and lights reported. Below decks men felt the 'shock' of imagined near misses and one had a battle induced nervous breakdown. While the 'battle' was raging the Japanese evacuated Kiska undisturbed and it was dawn before the radar targets were identified as return echoes from mountains more than 160km away. graemlins/no.gif

This goes to show how be the more technically advanced isn't always an advantage.

During the War years, a thing called the Alaska Territorial Guard (ATG) was set up. It was locally organized bands of Alaskan citizens who had weaponry and the ability to defend their homeland should any enemy attack become imminent. There was fear and rightfully so, because were unified against that. While the world shreeked at the bombing of Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, it was in June 3-4 of 1942 that Alaska saw the bombing of WWII. Dutch Harbor, of the Aleutian Island of Unalaska, lost about 35 people, both civilian and military, due to the bombing. Days later, the Aleutian islands of Attu and Kiska were taken by the Japanese for a period of almost a year. On May 29, 1943, the US recaptured the island of Attu, and on July 23, the Japanese, having there only US occupation on the island of Kiska, evaded the US by withdrawing and evacuating there troops. It was a maneuver which produced a fictitious battle of an island lacking an enemy, something also known as the Battle of the Pips.

People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.
- George Orwell

Yes, the Canadian troops went in on one side of the island and the US went in on anouther side of the island and in the fog and cold they started shooting, thinking each was the Japanese. If you see a picture of Kiska and the terrain you will understand how this occured.